278 WILD SPORTS OF THE WEST. 



to the legs of geese ; but he admits his beHef that this 

 was but a popular conceit, and wisely comes to a con- 

 clusion, " that there is a sea-horse, or some such devil 

 in the lough, which prevents the fish from taking 

 fly or worm." In the neighbourhood of Minola there 

 is a lake called Carramore, where the trout are said to 

 be equally large, and in refusing baits and flies equally 

 refractory. I have never fished the water, or seen the 

 trout ; but they are taken during harvest floods, in 

 a mill-race, which runs directly from the lough ; their 

 size is from four to ten pounds. 



Three days have passed, and the weather has been wet 

 and boisterous. The moors have become soft, and are 

 now very distressing to traverse. The grouse have 

 deserted their customary haunts, are found with 

 difficulty, and from their wildness, will hardly stand 

 the dogs. Winter is fast approaching, and the time is 

 close at hand when the cabin must be abandoned for 

 the more substantial comforts of the Lodge. 



And I shall leave this hut and these hills with sincere 

 regret. Palled with the pleasures of the world, I found 

 here that rude, but real happiness, which for years 

 before I had sought in vain. Here I associated with 

 a new order of beings. I compared them with the 

 artificial society I had consorted with, and found among 

 them some traces of natural virtues, which ultra civili- 

 zation has banished from the rest of mankind. There 

 may be here, no doubt, much ignorance and super- 

 stition to be regretted, and false opinions and falser 

 modes of action to be corrected — but even for their 

 vices I can find an apology, and their worst crimes will 

 appear, upon examination, to be either consequent 

 upon moral neglect, or arising from rude and barbarous 



